Physical activity in elementary school children: compliance with recommendations and the contribution of the school recess

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the daily and school recess average time of moderate-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) on primary school students and compliance with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommendations for infants, plus the contribution of PA activities during the recess to the weekly MVPA, according to various variables of interest, measured by accelerometry in a sample of 67 primary school children (10.2 ± 1.8 years). Descriptive analyses of the types of PA, ANOVA, t-test and Chi-square tests were included. The results indicate that the students spend an average of 51 minutes per day on MVPA: girls do 11 minutes more than boys at the weekend and boys accumulate 4 minutes more than girls during the week, while 34.3% of the students comply with the WHO recommendations. The students dedicate an average of 5.48 minutes to MVPA during the school recess, with a longer period on the soccer field. The PA weekly contribution to MPVA during the recess was 10.39% on average, although there were differences between the zones into which the schoolyard was divided. The low weekly compliance and the small contribution of the school recess suggests that a multiple strategy should be used to improve these values and promote PA among children that includes Physical Education, the school recess and school in general, as well as other spaces and community settings.